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Disability training

Mathematics, in the form of horology, can prove to be a good foundation, whether physically disabled or not

December 19 2012, 12:01am, The Times

Sir, I was for ten years a trustee of a charity, St Loye’s Foundation in Exeter, the aim of which was to retrain students with disabilities which had prevented them from continuing their previous occupation (report, Dec 11, letter, Dec 17). Ages ranged from 19 to 54 and the object was to reintroduce them to the workplace. The foundation had a horology department. Maths was an integral part (cogs and pulleys, etc) and many students had not been near this discipline for many years. The practical approach and its relevance to the jobs they were doing produced startling results. The course was usually completed successfully and a number went on to read maths at university.